Scuba from a trawler

[klee wyck]

Did you go gas or electric?

We went gas (read very loud). We try to avoid filling at the marina!
We needed the portability of gas engine but if it were to be permanently attached to one boat, I would go electric.

 

[mike50]

Yes I love that style. Wife is just hard set on and aft cabin with a queen bed. So if I can find one likw that we/she will be happy. Lol

If you are ok with an older model boat, a Hatteras 53’ 1510 model came in both a motor yacht and sport fish version, both are aft cabin, and some MY’s have aft cockpits. Also, they built Long Range cruiser models in 48, 53 & 65’. They were built in the 70’s and 80’s and can usually be had at a reasonable price. Great boats and built like tanks.

 

[Bud]

We are divers and we dive off our grand banks 49. Our set up is a combo of what you have been hearing in this thread, We put our gear on sitting on the swim platform, the tank is held in on a custom holder i made out of PVC pipe that allows us to put BC on tank while tank is still in holder. When we have completed our dive we hoist the gear up inline with Teds procedure. We find trying to put gear on in water with current ect is to stressful. I can not show you a picture of our set up because I have it all apart to refinish the stern right now. I do have a video of the set up on our Glacier bay, It is a stand up version though and not on the swim platform, but you may get the jist of it.

Bud

 

[slowgoesit]

Klee,
"Filled the tanks from the onboard compressor"
I'm looking for a good, not too expensive, compressor.
Suggestions? Ballpark price?

We just picked up a MCH-6 used. Similar to the Bauer Junior, but not as pricey. The MCH-6 we bought will fill one 80 cu ft tank from empty (300 psi) to 3100 in about 22 minutes. Uses a 220v electric motor. Ours has the optional automatic condensate drain system ($440.00), and optional ($175.00) manual set shut off pressure valve, which would have brought the price new up to a little over $3,000.00. We found ours at a pawn shop of all places. Probably used to fill up paint ball cylinders since the scuba yoke was missing. Like new condition, all parts available from www.nuvair.com, the US distributors. Their tech/parts people were absolutely FANTASTIC! Worked with me before the purchase on what to look for, what to avoid, recommended price to offer, etc. They were asking $2,000.00, I paid $950. Including 1 gallon of compressor oil, spare filters, new yoke, etc, I have about $1,100.00 into it!
Bottom line, for light duty maybe 3 or 4 fills a day, they're several good brands out there. Oil change every year or 50 hours of operation (that's about 136 tank fills) and periodic inlet and oil scavenge filter change, and you're all set! I DID add an hour meter to better keep track of usage for maintenance. . . .

Now just need to get a boat to go with it . . .

 

[Bud]

We just picked up a used MCH-6 used. Similar to the Bauer Junior, but not as pricey. The MCH-6 we bought will fill one 80 cu ft tank from empty (300 psi) to 3100 in about 22 minutes. Uses a 220v electric motor. Ours has the optional automatic condensate drain system ($440.00), and optional ($175.00) manual set shut off pressure valve, which would have brought the price new up to a little over $3,000.00. We found ours at a pawn shop of all places. Probably used to fill up paint ball cylinders since the scuba yoke was missing. Like new condition, all parts available from www.nuvair.com, the US distributors. Their tech/parts people were absolutely FANTASTIC! Worked with me before the purchase on what to look for, what to avoid, recommended price to offer, etc. They were asking $2,000.00, I paid $950. Including 1 gallon of compressor oil, spare filters, new yoke, etc, I have about $1,100.00 into it!
Bottom line, for light duty maybe 3 or 4 fills a day, they're several good brands out there. Oil change every year or 50 hours of operation (that's about 136 tank fills) and periodic inlet and oil scavenge filter change, and you're all set! I DID add an hour meter to better keep track of usage for maintenance. . . .

Now just need to get a boat to go with it . . .

Thats a great find. I have been watching craigslist.

Bud

 

[Willin]

I have a 32 GB I plan to use for diving. it is a sedan style therefore has a large cockpit and no steps so lots of room to lay out gear and a large lazerette to store everything but the tanks. I will buy a four tank box design to store them in the cockpit when I dive. As other posters have said, will have to tie off my BC at least, probably weight belt too in order to enter the boat. I might use the boom and hoist the tanks up but probably not. I will probably buy a deeper and wider swim ladder, or a dive specific ladder to attach to the swim ( dive) platform.

I would not suggest an aft cabin trawler layout for diving. Rather a sedan or Europa style. There isn’t enough deck space aft and no real cockpit on the aft cabin layouts. Diving gear takes up a lot of space. And the weather is downright cold in the non Summer months outside in the PNW so will need more room for heavier dive suits, more weight, warm shower, towels, dry clothes etc. A transom door would be a very nice to have item. Some new trawler designs have them.

Also the diving in PNW off a boat is usually more challenging than warm water diving due to strong currents, cold water, rain... They will be drift dives I expect so will need at least one person driving the boat and another in the cockpit. I’m probably going to start with a hookah setup myself, or just freedive for now.

 

[PPandE]

I strongly suggest a ladder with a center post and rungs that extend outward from there so that you can stand or climb without having to insert your fins between the side rails. Something like West marine's Model # 14091870. This one should be mounted such that it angles aft at the bottom a bit.

 

[Art]

I strongly suggest a ladder with a center post and rungs that extend outward from there so that you can stand or climb without having to insert your fins between the side rails. Something like West marine's Model # 14091870. This one should be mounted such that it angles aft at the bottom a bit.

I've for many decades always done a lot of free diving; learned to do so starting the late 1950's, during grade school. Luckily my lungs and body have stayed in really good condition! Enjoy taking care of our boat bottom and underwater metal paraphernalia [including anode changes] with only mask and fins [no snorkel, hookah, tank or other breathing assistance equipment]. Simple is as simple does!!

When coming back aboard, more often than not, I throw the fins onto swim step. However, the ladder's sits deep enough into water and its several steps are wide enough to also easily keep fins on while reboarding. Blue rope with hand-hold knots work in two ways - 1. To use as hand hold while boarding. 2. To use as containment line for securing the long/tall ladder in its up position. Other blue rope with center loop/knot is for towing our back to back four seater Crestliner runabout with its bimini, 50 hp Johnson o/b in up position.

I built this ladder within a couple weeks of purchasing the Tollycraft tri cabin, in 2008. Used a combination of parts from two old boarding ladders... with a piece of stainless tube [gotten from a metal shop] and stainless deck hardware [from West Marine]. Also was lucky enough to find some like new ladder treads on Craigslist.

Happy Boating/Diving! - Art

 

[Bud]

I have a 32 GB I plan to use for diving. it is a sedan style therefore has a large cockpit and no steps so lots of room to lay out gear and a large lazerette to store everything but the tanks. I will buy a four tank box design to store them in the cockpit when I dive. As other posters have said, will have to tie off my BC at least, probably weight belt too in order to enter the boat. I might use the boom and hoist the tanks up but probably not. I will probably buy a deeper and wider swim ladder, or a dive specific ladder to attach to the swim ( dive) platform.

I would not suggest an aft cabin trawler layout for diving. Rather a sedan or Europa style. There isn’t enough deck space aft and no real cockpit on the aft cabin layouts. Diving gear takes up a lot of space. And the weather is downright cold in the non Summer months outside in the PNW so will need more room for heavier dive suits, more weight, warm shower, towels, dry clothes etc. A transom door would be a very nice to have item. Some new trawler designs have them.

Also the diving in PNW off a boat is usually more challenging than warm water diving due to strong currents, cold water, rain... They will be drift dives I expect so will need at least one person driving the boat and another in the cockpit. I’m probably going to start with a hookah setup myself, or just freedive for now.

I load my gear up against the stern in the cockpit, then I go down on the swim platform and while standing I can reach the gear in the stern cockpit. I put the tanks in my holders then put the BC's on. Allready in our wet suits and mask/snorkle we sit down and strap on our BC's then lean forward to snap out of holder and slide into the water. Returning we take off our BC's and hook to a line that is tied to a cleat in the cockpit. I take off my fins because they are extra long and climb up the ladder, but my wife leaves her fins on and climbs up the ladder no problem. Then we untie the line to BC's and hoist them aboard.

Bud

 

[Cruising Sea Venture]

We have the Max-Air 35 STD on board. It's the 230V unit, which we run off the generator. It's installed in the engine room with a longer fill hose run into the lazarette, where are tanks are stored. It has worked great. Alan Soth, the owner of the company was great to work with. While the online price is about $3,000, our was about $5,200 by the time we were done. We got the auto start, auto condensation drain, longer air supply line so it could be run outside for the air intake, longer fill line, etc. Well worth it. It automatically turns on when attached to a tank and senses the drop in air pressure and automatically turns off at 3,100 PSI.

We are currently spending the winter up in SE Alaska diving - incredible visibility if not a little chilly when diving while snowing! But it's an adventure at least.

Jim
M/V Sea Venture
www.youtube/CruisingSeaVenture

 

[Mako]

Has anyone installed an accumulator tank like a proper filling station? Something like a big 450cf high pressure tank. Weight-aside (200lbs) it would drastically reduce the need for running the compressor.

 

[diver dave]

Has anyone installed an accumulator tank like a proper filling station? Something like a big 450cf high pressure tank. Weight-aside (200lbs) it would drastically reduce the need for running the compressor.

Would you take this to a dive shop for filling?

 

[marcoh]

Has anyone installed an accumulator tank like a proper filling station? Something like a big 450cf high pressure tank. Weight-aside (200lbs) it would drastically reduce the need for running the compressor.

I guess you need to consider what it is that you are trying to achieve. Getting a onboard compressor to fill a much higher pressure may not be possible as the compressor wont do it, and overall you will end with increased run hours on the compressor due the the higher pressure.

I used to dive off a boat that had multiple fill whips off the one compressors, can fill multiple tanks simultaneously, generate less heat so better fills, and can add tanks, take tanks off without stopping the compressors. This way you also use one of more of the tanks as a air bank to quickly fill the next tank to maybe 50%.

I do recall seeing a boat once with a large cylinder used for as an air bank, been there for years, looked rusty, and didn't fill me with any confidence with respect to structural integrity and air quality....